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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · object · rest · pitcher · band · fan · stem · bark

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. object — an aim
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — a thing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a ring
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com